In the event that goods which ere weighed to predetermined weight are allowed to fall and discharged to be filled and packed in bags, an article transfer device equipped with a timing hopper that temporarily stores the weighed goods, opens a gate according to a cycle of filling operation, and supplies the good into bags is set up. Such transfer device is able to drop and discharge the goods at a stroke at a predetermined timing after the goods are temporarily stored in the timing hopper; continuous filling in a high-speed cycle is enabled. However, in the event that the goods to be filled are hard and have a high restitution coefficient, goods jump up and down greatly when they are fed into the timing hopper and become poorly organized; the feeding time is unable to be satisfactorily shortened. In addition, in the event that the gate opens while goods are being fed into the timing hopper, goods jump up and down greatly even in bags, sometimes making the feeding time all the more longer.
Consequently, in the midst of feeding goods, bag seal operation is conducted, and the goods to be filled may not be filled, resulting in a great weight error or goods are caught between seal portions, resulting in seal failure. Therefore, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 62-143601 proposes a technique for setting up multiple timing hoppers in the longitudinal direction, and temporarily banking up goods with each timing hopper and then, supplying the goods to downstream timing hoppers so that the dropping speed is thereby lowered and the goods are allowed to quickly fit into hoppers or bags.